Winter '18 Classes, VolunteerOpportunities, and Book Group

Contact Peggy Kurtz 718.268.5011 ext 151

FILM DISCUSSION GROUP with FILM CRITIC MATTHEW WEISS

Watch some of the greatest films of the last century and enjoy lively discussions with film critic Matthew Weiss. You'll learn to see the kinds of things most of us miss when we watch a movie. How do great films defy our expectations of character, narrative, identification, and editing, and deepen our experience of the world? Matthew Weiss has done everything on a film set from acting and producing to directing. He has appeared in productions along with Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo, and Rosie Perez and has done improv comedy in NY. Bring your lunch. We’ll provide cookies, coffee, and food for thought!

BEHIND THE HEADLINES: Digging Deeper into the Politics & Law Behind the News

As we enter the second year of the Trump administration, we await the work product of the Mueller investigation, presenting a myriad of legal issues not normally on the front pages of our newspapers. The impact of the investigation and its conclusions will surely change the entire public policy agenda of the president and Congress. At each session, we’ll dig deeper into an issue in the news, including the history, legal background, and politics. A former NY State and City Comptroller, Assemblyman, and Professor of Political Science, Alan Hevesi is a seasoned veteran of political campaigns and politics.

TURNING POINTS IN JEWISH HISTORY: The Twentieth Century Re-Shapes Jews and Judaism

Throughout the ages, Jewish culture has seen revolutionary and evolutionary changes. Confronting major traumas and new cultures led to new forms of Judaism and cultural changes. This winter we’ll explore the Zionist and Socialist responses to the “Jewish Problem,” and various aspects of the Holocaust.

A retired Reform rabbi, Rabbi Irwin Goldenberg has taught at Gettysburg College and St. John’s University.

LIGHT, COLOR AND SHADOW: Watercolors Without Fear

Learn simple techniques of watercolor to create landscapes from imagination or from photographs. This is a no-failure class! Learn to play with color, form, and texture to create beautiful images. No experience needed, just a spirit of curiosity and adventure!

A working artist, Susan Ross taught art for 40 years in the public school system.

ENGLISH TUTORING FOR IMMIGRANTS

Our extremely successful tutoring program is back! Do you have skills to offer which could help immigrants in exchange for the personal rewards of helping people get a positive start in the U.S.? In addition to our ongoing tutoring program for women at the Women for Afghan Women Center in Fresh Meadows, we are re-starting a second session each week at the CQY, working on conversational English with Turkish and other immigrants. We are getting wonderful feedback from tutors and students, both of whom are finding these programs enormously rewarding.

Space is limited and advance registration is required! For more information and to register, please contact Cultural Arts at (718) 268-5011 ext. 151 or pkurtz@cqy.org.

BOOK GROUP

FREE, but advance registration is requested. New participants always welcome!

Come find out why this book group has such a devoted following! Thoughtful, lively, provocative discussions focus on the best new and classic literature and non-fiction. Moderated discussions dig into the books to get the most from them, yet we also have a lot of fun. New participants are always welcome.

Third Thurs. of month, 12:15 - 2:15 p.m.

January 18 - What Maisie Knew by Henry JamesAfter her parents’ bitter divorce, young Maisie finds herself shuttled between her parents, who use her as a means to provoke each other. Maisie—solitary, observant, and wise beyond her years—is drawn into an increasingly entangled adult world of intrigue and sexual betrayal until she is finally compelled to choose her own future. What Maisie Knew is a subtle yet devastating portrayal of a child coming to understand the world around her.

February 15 - To the Lighthouse by Virgina WoolfOne of the great novels of the twentieth century, Virginia Woolf’s masterpiece. The seemingly serene Mrs. Ramsay, the tragic yet absurd Mr. Ramsay, and their children and assorted guests are on holiday on the Isle of Skye. A family dinner, a voyage to a lighthouse: from these small events Woolf constructs a remarkable, moving examination of the complex tensions and allegiances of family life and the conflict between men and women.

March 15 - A Pale View of the Hills by Kazuo IshiguroFrom the Nobel prize winning author, the story of a middle-aged Japanese woman, now living in England, as she relives her childhood memories after the bombing of Japan.

April 19 - Judas by Amos OzA novel by Israel’s best known author, an international bestseller and finalist for Man Booker Prize. At once a love story and a coming-of-age novel, Judas offers a surprising perspective on the state of Israel and the biblical tale from which it draws its title.